Photo By Master Sgt. Nicholas Perez | A Royal Thai Air Force pilot and U.S. Air Force Weapons Systems Officer, 137th Special...... read more read more
KORAT ROYAL THAI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand — A new chapter in U.S.-Thai Air Force interoperability unfolded on Aug. 18, 2025, as U.S. Air Force weapons system officers (WSOs) took to the skies in a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) AT-6 aircraft for the first time during the ongoing Enduring Partners exchange. This landmark event underscores the program's commitment to deepening professional and personal bonds through shared training and expertise.
RTAF pilots provided extensive orientations, giving the American WSOs detailed tours of the AT-6 aircraft and explaining its procedures and functions. These briefings were crucial as WSOs work directly with pilots, particularly in two-seat aircraft, to optimize their capabilities and ensure mission success.
The initial flights mark a new chapter in combined air operations between the two nations.
Enduring Partners is more than a training event; it's an exchange specifically designed to bolster interoperability and partnership. It operates under the National Guard-sponsored State Partnership Program, a long-standing initiative that formally began between the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the Washington National Guard in 2002. These engagements enhance capability and interoperability while strengthening trust between like-minded nations.
| Date Taken: | 08.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.22.2025 09:23 |
| Story ID: | 546212 |
| Location: | KORAT, TH |
| Hometown: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 138 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Historic Flights Mark New Heights in U.S.-Thai Air Force Partnership, by MSgt Brandy Burke, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Pacific Air Forces
US Pacific Command (USPACOM)
Air National Guard
Army National Guard
